Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is home to more than 2,000 animals and one of the nation’s most beautiful and inspiring botanical gardens. The lush 170-acre site features natural habitat exhibits, scenic river views, spectacular valley overlooks, and significant historic landmarks.
Home to the same entrepreneurial African American family for nearly 130 years, tours of this house museum trace the journey of Columbia’s African American community from enslavement through urban renewal.
The Museum of Reconstruction at the Woodrow Wilson Family Home is the nation's only museum dedicated to interpreting the post-Civil War Reconstruction period and is housed in South Carolina's only remaining presidential site. Through a multifaceted interpretation, the Museum of Reconstruction preserves and interprets Columbia’s 19th century history to dispel the myths of Reconstruction that are so prevalent in society today.
One of Columbia's oldest remaining structures, the Hampton-Preston Mansion explores the lives of the enslaved workers who ensured the antebellum estate’s daily operation and their planter-class owners, offering holistic insights into the site and the institution of slavery that framed the South’s racial, social and economic character.
Bourbon is a whiskey bar and Cajun-Creole restaurant located just steps from the South Carolina State Capitol building. They have over 450 whiskeys, most of which are bourbon, rye, and Tennessee whiskey. They also have a growing collection of whiskeys from other countries like Scotland, Ireland, Japan, Canada, and India.
Motor Supply Co. Bistro is known for artisan cocktails, a casual fine dining atmosphere, and daily-changing lunch and dinner menus. They offer an eclectic blend of contemporary American, French, Italian, and Asian cuisine, with everything sourced from local farms or house-made.
Chayz Lounge is a black-owned live music venue located on Meeting Street in the heart of the River District in West Columbia, SC. The venue offers an intimate and upscale atmosphere to experience jazz and rhythm & blues performances.